Cambridge News has partnered with SmithsonHill to raise awareness of our area's biggest contributors to everyday life – agriculture.

SmithsonHill, based in Pampisford, is a joint venture between Russell Smith Farms and Hill Commercial Investments that combines land, innovation and development expertise. In the first in a series of articles, it looks a the seven things you may not know about farming. So here goes:

1. Lamborghini started life as a tractor manufacturer

Lamborghini was started as an Italian tractor manufacturer in 1948 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who later went on to establish Lamborghini in 1962 by creating the Lamborghini GT 400.

Lamborghini has developed technologies for the farming industry that are now reflected in supercars and those we drive every day. Synchromesh gearboxes, fuel atomisers, air-cooled engines, electric control systems and more have all played their part in the ever-evolving car industry. You may not know what these things are but trust us, they’re there.

Lamborghini Trattori continues to trade today and is still one of the top farming machinery manufactures in the world.

2. There are 20million hectares of farmland in the UK

Farmland covers about 64 per cent of the UK with more than 20million hectares of land - that’s the equivalent of 30million football pitches.

Of these 20million hectares, 25 per cent of all farmland in the UK is used to grow crops with the majority of land growing grasses to feed livestock and for use in dairy farming.

However, farmland is on the decline in the UK. Between 2000 and 2010, we have lost about 447,790 hectares to housing, commercial parks and other urban developments.

Ongoing advances in farming has seen the UK farming industry grow by 10 per cent in the last three years despite the loss of land and AgriTech offers a unique way of getting the best for everyone.

3. Wheat is the most common crop in the UK

While most regard Britain as the potato capital, wheat is our most common crop with more than two million hectares harvested every year in the eastern parts of England. East Anglia, the South-East and the East Midlands account for more than 58 per cent of the crop grown in the UK.

Over the last 40 years, there have been big improvements in the quality of wheat produced in the UK, meaning that millers not source more than 80 per cent of their supplies from British farmers. Approximately 7.8 tonnes of wheat is produced in the UK for breadmaking.

4. We love our potatoes – sweet, jacket, mashed, crisps

Farms in the UK produce more than five-and-a-half million tonnes of potatoes a year. That’s enough to cover 120,000 football pitches. In addition, we import approximately 1.3million tonnes of potatoes for consumption.

Fifty-two per cent of UK potatoes are produced in East Anglia and Yorkshire, but we are only producing a small amount compared to 50 years ago. Since then our harvested area of potatoes has halved - no wonder the demand for potatoes exceeds domestic supply.

Despite this, the UK is still ranked number 11 among other potato producing countries, our farmers being ever resourceful with a steady rate of spuds being produced year on year.

5. Sheep!

There are more than 35million sheep and lambs in the UK - more sheep than any other country in Europe. The UK is perfectly suited to sheep production with its hills, highlands and lowlands making it home to more than 90 different sheep breeds.

Sheep have been resident of the UK since Roman times and became hugely important to their economy and welfare. Today, meat is the main product of sheep, although skins, wool and milk also have their own markets.

6. East Anglia is the most productive crop producer in the UK

You may not know it but Cambridge is located in the heart of the most agriculturally productive region in the UK. Our climate, landscape and soils are ideally suited to growing strawberries, sugar beet, barley, hops, wheat, potatoes and more.

Together we produce enough barley to brew 2.5million pints of beer and grow enough wheat to produce 5,774million loaves of bread.

Agriculture is a significant employer in East Anglia with more than 39,000 people working directly in the farming sector. These people play a vital role with managing our countryside as three quarters of land in East Anglia is used for agriculture.

7. Global agriculture contributes 25 per cent of all greenhouse gases

Agriculture is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. The primary culprit is cultivating crops, livestock and deforestation around the globe.

However, this statistic does not account for the good these crops do to reduce the global carbon footprint. The Co2 that is removed from the atmosphere by crops and forestry offsets about 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions from this sector.

In 2010, our agriculture sector accounted for nine per cent of the total UK greenhouse gas emissions and has continued to decline since. Despite this, agriculture still plays a significant part in contributing to the UK and global carbon footprint.

Tweet @SmithsonHill and let them know which of the seven you found the most surprising!

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